Download Chapter 15

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Chapter
15
Communicating
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Management, 7/e
Copyright © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Learning Objectives
 After Studying Chapter 15, You will know
 The important advantages of two-way
communication.
 Communication problems to avoid.
 When and how to use the various
communication channels.
 Ways to become a better “sender” and
“receiver” of information.
 How to improve downward, upward, and
horizontal communication.
 How to work with the company grapevine.
 The advantages and characteristics of the
boundaryless organization.
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Interpersonal Communication
 Communication is the transmission of information
and meaning from one party to another through the
use of shared symbols
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One-Way versus Two-Way
 One-way communication is a process in which
information flows in only one direction – from the
sender to the receiver; with no feedback loop
 One-way communication is more common because
it is easier
 Two-way communication is a process in which
information flows in two directions – the receiver
provides feedback, and the sender is receptive to
the feedback
 Two-way communication is more difficult and time
consuming than one-way communication
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Communication Pitfalls
 Errors can occur in all stages of the communication
process
 Encoding errors include the misuse of words, decimal
points entered in the wrong place, and ambiguous
phrases
 Decoding problems include poor listening on the part of
the receiver, reading too quickly, and overlooking key
points
 Generally it is the individuals perceptual and filtering
processes that create misinterpretations
 Perception is the process of receiving and interpreting
information
 Filtering is the process of withholding, ignoring, or
distorting information
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Mixed Signals and Misperception
 People’s perceptions can undermine attempts
to communicate
 People do not pay attention to everything going
on around them
 People inadvertently send mixed signals that
can undermine the intended message
 Different people attend to different things, and
people interpret the same thing in different
ways
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Intercultural Communication
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Oral and Written Channels
 Oral communication
includes face-to-face
discussion, telephone
conversations, and formal
presentations and speeches
 Advantages art that
questions can be asked
and answered; feedback is
immediate and direct; and
it is more persuasive
 Disadvantages are that it
can lead to spontaneous,
ill-considered statements;
and that there is no
permanent record
 Written communication
includes memos, letters,
reports, computer files, and
other written documents
 Advantages are that the
message can be revised
several times, there is a
permanent record, the
receiver has more time to
analyze the message, and
the it stays the same even
if relayed through many
people
 Disadvantages are that the
sender has no control over
where, when or if the
message is read; no
immediate feedback, and
the message must be
longer
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Electronic Media
 Electronic media allows managers to use
computers not only to gather and distribute
quantitative data but to talk with others
electronically
 Teleconferencing allows groups of people in
different locations to interact over phone lines,
and perhaps also to see one another on
monitors during discussions
 E-mail, instant messaging, and blogging are
other types of electronic media
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Electronic Media
 Advantages include:
 More information is
shared with greater
speed and efficiency
 Reduces time spent
raveling, talking, and
photocopying
 Reduces costs
 Can improve decision
making
 Disadvantages include:
 Difficulty solving
complex problems that
require more extended
face-to-face interaction
 Inability to pick up
subtle, nonverbal, or
inflectional clues about
what the communicator
is thinking
 Information leaks
 Lost time from private
use of e-mail and
instant messaging
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Managing the Electronic Load
 Even though electronic communication media may seem
essential and people wonder how they ever worked without
it, the sheer volume of electronic communication can be
overwhelming
 To manage the amount of electronic communication
managers should:
 Separate the truly important form the routing; prioritize your
time around truly important goals
 Make sure IM’s and e-mails are not sent to the wrong person
 Don’t think of e-mail as private
 Don’t hit ‘reply to all’ when you should only hit reply
 E-mail golden rule: don’t hit send unless you’d be comfortable
having the contents on the front page of a newspaper
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The Virtual Office
 The virtual office is a
mobile office in which
people can work
anywhere, as long as
they have the tools to
communicate with
customers and colleagues
 Based on the philosophy
that management’s focus
should be on what people
do not where they are
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Media Richness
 Media richness refers
to the amount of
information a
medium can convey
 The more
information or cues
a medium sends to
the receiver, the
‘richer’ the medium
is
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Improving Communication Skills:
Improving Sender Skills
 Honest, direct, straight talk is important but
all too rare
 People should be able to identify your
perspective, your reasoning, and your
intentions
 Effective writing is more than correct
spelling, punctuation, and grammar (although
these help!)
 Good writing requires clear, logical thinking
 Strive for clarity organization, readability, and
brevity
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Improving Sender Skills
 When called upon to present a persuasive message
your attitude is very important
 Persuasion is a process of learning from each other and
negotiating a shared solution
 Effective persuasion is an attempt to find an emotional
connection with the other person
 The most powerful and persuasive messages are simple
and informative, are told with stories and anecdotes,
and convey excitement
 Remember that word choice can enhance or interfere
with the communication process
 Consider the other person’s background
 Avoid jargon and slang
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Improving Your Presentations
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Non Verbal Skills
 Nonverbal messages can support or undermine the
stated message
 You should give nonverbal signals that express warmth,
respect, concern, a feeling of equality, and a willingness
to listen
 Negative nonverbal signals show coolness, disrespect,
lack of interest, and a feeling of superiority
 Suggestions for sending the right nonverbal cues
include
 Use time appropriately
 Make your office arrangement conducive to open
communication
 Remember your body language
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Nonverbal Skills in Other Countries
 Nodding the head up and down Bulgaria means no
 The American A-OK gesture is vulgar in Brazil, Singapore,
Russia, and Paraguay
 In Buddhist cultures never touch someone’s head because
it is sacred
 Never touch or eat anything with the left hand in Muslim
cultures because I is unclean
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Improving Receiver Skills
 In today’s demanding work environment,
managers need better listening skills
 Reflection is a process by which a person
states what he or she believes the other person
is saying
 Listening begins with personal contact
 Reading mistakes are common and costly
 Read thins as soon as possible
 Note important points
 Read materials that fall outside your
immediate concerns
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Improving Receiver Skills
 Effective communicators are also capable of
observing and interpreting nonverbal
communications
 A vital source of useful observations comes
from personally visiting people, plants, and
other locations to get a firsthand view
 You must accurately interpret what you
observe
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Downward Communication
 Downward communication refers to the flow
of information from higher to lower levels in
the organization’s hierarchy
 Problems with downward communication
include:
 Information overload
 Lack of openness between managers and
employees
 Filtering information as it moves through the
organization’s hierarchy
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Downward Communication
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Downward Communication
 Some of the most important
downward communication occurs
when managers provide
performance feedback
 Coaching is dialogue with a goal of
helping another be more effective
and achieve his or her full
potential on the job
 Open-book management is the
practice of sharing with
employees at all levels of the
organization vital information
previously meant for
management’s eyes only
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Upward Communication
 Upward communication travels from lower to
higher ranks in the hierarchy
 Upward communication is important because:
 Manager’s learn what’s going on
 Employees gain from the opportunity to
communicate upward
 Effective upward communication facilitates
downward communication as good listening
becomes a two-way street
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Upward Communication
 Problems common in upward communication are
similar to those for downward communication
 People tend to share only good news with their
bosses and suppress bad news because they:
 Want to appear competent
 Mistrust their boss and fear that punishment for
their actions
 Fear the boss will punish the messenger
 Believe they are helping their boss if they shield
him or her from problems
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Managing Upward Communication
 Generating useful information from below
requires that managers both facilitate and
motivate upward communication
 Use an open door policy
 Have lunch with employees
 Use surveys
 Practice MBWA (Management by wandering
around)
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Horizontal Communication
 Horizontal communication is information
that is shared among people on the same
hierarchical level
 Horizontal communication has several
important functions
 It allows sharing of information, coordination,
and problem solving among units
 Helps solve conflicts
 Provides social and emotional support to
people
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Informal Communication
 Informal communication is generally unofficial
communication between organizational members at all
levels
 Grapevine is the social network of informal
communication
 Many times the grapevine will carry rumors and gossip
which can be destructive
 Managers must work with the grapevine by
 Talking to the key people involved to get the facts and
their perspectives
 Preventing rumors from starting through open
communication
 Neutralizing rumors once they have started
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Boundarylessness
 A boundaryless organization is one in which
there are no barriers to information flow
 It implies information is available as needed
moving quickly and easily enough so that the
organization functions far better as a whole
than its separate parts
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Looking Ahead
 After Studying Chapter 16, You will know:
 Why companies develop control systems for employees
 How to design a basic bureaucratic control system
 The purposes for using budgets as a control device
 How to interpret financial ratios and other financial
controls
 The procedures for implementing effective control
systems
 The different ways in which market control mechanisms
are used by organizations
 How clan control can be approached in an empowered
organization